Frolic or knit – it’s your choice
Lincoln’s New Salem hosts summer frolic, welcomes hard-core knitters on June 10

[June 09, 2017]  PETERSBURG - Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site offers two ways to celebrate summer on June 10: wander through a village demonstrating life in the 1830s or sit and knit to your heart’s content.

Volunteers in period clothing will welcome guests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for New Salem’s annual Summer Frolic. Visitors get to see period crafts and trades, such as blacksmithing and quilting, and watch a “sheep to shawl” demonstration where wool is spun into yarn and then woven into a garment.

The site is also celebrating international World Wide Knit in Public Day. Knitters of all skill levels and ages are invited to knit alongside interpreters throughout the village. Knitters are encouraged to bring their own seating.

The event is free and open to the public, although a donation of $4 for adults, $2 for children or $10 per family is suggested.

The Museum Store and Railsplitter Gift Shop will be open during the event. The stores are operated by the New Salem Lincoln League. OMGosh! Snack Shack will also be open.

For more information, email [e-mail], call 217-632-4000 or visit www.lincolnsnewsalem.com.

Lincoln’s New Salem is a re-creation of the 1830s log village where Lincoln lived for six years. It is located along Route 97 about two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles northwest of Springfield, and is open Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours.

The site is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. IHPA protects the state’s historic resources, which contribute to education, culture and the economy. IHPA sites include ancient burial mounds, forts and buildings erected by settlers, and homes connected to famous Illinoisans.

[Shanta Thoele
Executive Secretary
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library]